AnOrangeCat

1 hour ago, Michael37 said:

There is a temptation to blame others for causing trouble and sorrow etc., but pondering my past and praying for guidance, I have realised that actually I have caused all three of those things in the list to occur at times.

I've found myself in that boat as well. I'm even in it right now, having entered some training for a potential field of work that should drastically increase my quality of life. The thing is there's a learning curve and a need to adjust thinking and habits. There's been a lot of hard knocks and disappointments on the way, most of them stemming from not following things typically considered standard practice in the field. I feel like it's best summarized by asking myself how many times I needed to bash my head against a brick wall before I learned going around it or using the door was a lot easier and more productive.

12 hours ago, Jayne said:

[1] Perseverance = What's that? It's when you, in suffering, just pick up one foot and put it down in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Some Bibles translate this word as endurance or patience or steadfastness. No matter, it all means the same thing - just keep moving. Just keep picking up one foot and - unwilling to lie down in defeat - keep putting it down in front of the other. Keep on moving, brothers and sisters.

Interestingly immediately after the greeting in the book of James we're told to count it all joy when we experience trials because it brings about perseverance (or patience in some translations). It's hard to do this but I think we'd all benefit from practicing an attitude of thankfulness and thanking God for little things and even the tough situations we face. Admittedly I don't often succeed at this in the heat of the moment, but after the fact it gets easier.

Looking back on things my own very unpleasant personal trial by fire involved years of abuse and exploitation at the hands of family members. Horrible, horrible stuff that left me feeling like I had to walk on eggshells all day every day and at times had me going after food thrown away. But more than anything else in my life I feel like that long experience and that God delivered me out of it cemented my faith. It's hard not to look at the hopelessness from my own efforts to get out or get help failing and then at the end of it all see how it reversed so favorably through no effort of my own and not see God at work.

Similarly ever since I was a teenager I suffered from bouts of some intrusive thoughts (probably a form of OCD) that left me panicking and crying because I worried that they'd offended God or blasphemed the Holy Spirit. Later on in life it actually served as a motivating force and brought me closer to God. Since that point both the frequency and intensity have died down a lot. It reminds me of Paul's thorn in his flesh that he prayed to remove but ultimately served a purpose. Except in my case the purpose was eventually fulfilled and then removed.

I hope you can find your way back to God and come back to us when you're feeling better. Having followed your situation for years and having had an abusive family that tried to keep me down I've always felt a lot of sympathy over what you've been going through. I'll keep you in my prayers.

3 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

1. The UN sought to create two nations in the middle east in 1948 - Israel & Palestine. Israel accepted this idea; Arabs generally did not and attacked Israel.

2. Israel has repeatedly supported the UN idea of a two-state solution; Arab/Iranian extremists have consistently driven the agenda that Israel should not even exist.

3. Extremist actions took place on both sides: The world is painfully aware of Muslim terrorist activity; However, atrocities/massacres were also carried out by Israeli extremists, pointedly so in 1948 (aka "Nakba Day" - or the catastrophe).

This is more or less the cliff notes version of it. It might be beneficial to look into the PLO, or the Palestinian Liberation Organization, for a deeper understanding. The PLO isn't entirely one organization. It's a loose confederation of several with some significantly differing approaches and agendas, some of which have had ties to other nations in the area. Much like how the US and Russia used different smaller nations against each other in the cold war, other Arab nations have dipped into different elements of the PLO to use as a puppet against Israel. It's no wonder the PLO has a history of saying peace on one side and going militant on the other.

Something that I've noticed is that in a way Israel seems less relevant to the rest of the world's eyes than it did in the past. Israel has a history of being a longstanding strategic partner to the US, and the west's support of it was more or less a given. These days a lot of the news coming in about that part of the world is less about the situation and more about how people in the west are reacting to it, like our lawmakers and all the protests.

2 hours ago, mel85 said:

So nice to hear this  I think we all should give a Bible and encourage one another to read God's Word.

Agreed, and not only reading, but we should also help each other properly interpret God's Word. In the developing world there are people more than willing to spread false teaching for their own benefit. Without access to a Bible and knowledge of it some very vulnerable people are without their first line of defense against that sort of exploitation.

In recent years the "daily" part is something that continually stands out to me about the verse. Every day we try to be dead to not only sin but also our own desires. These desires may not be inherently sinful per se but at the same time aren't in line with what God wants for us at a given time. Sometimes it can take a lot to submit to God on such matters.

10 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

Either way, it's really just best not to question God, unless you are a JOB type figure who has lost everything in a very tragic way, and then maybe God will let slide any accusations against Him, but I wouldn't recommend questioning Him too much unless you have a very good reason for doing so... just saying from personal experience.

How you question God is important as well, I'd say. A lot of the Psalms come from places of deep depression and frustration. There's a lot of this kind of content in there but it seems framed in a respectful way rather than lashing out.

8 hours ago, mel85 said:

These many years we tried there is not much result we should talk and give Bibles, let God guide and let them read or start from any verse or Chapter or Books.

You know I am here among unbelievers so i have to think or do which seems better here.

I agree, God leads us to start where it will benefit us the most. The situation in India is also very severe for those unaware. There's been a strong sense of nationalism rising over the years, and Hinduism is very much linked to that. It's not nationwide violence and persecution, but there are certainly times and places where it's extremely dangerous. I get why you'd want to focus on distributing Bibles amongst believers who need them. We're the body of Christ and have different purposes, so it seems fine to focus on building up the church from within.

Something I'm curious is what would you be working with in terms of numbers? How many people would be distributing Bibles? How many Bibles would you like to distribute?

3 hours ago, Neighbor said:

And yet God led me to first read Job. Go figure.

I started with Revelation myself. At the time I had no idea it was the last book in the Bible. People joked that I was going to end up reading it in reverse.

On 4/15/2024 at 6:34 AM, BibleStudent100 said:

The Devil knows our sinful proclivities and he exploits these weaknesses.  Personally, I have never had a weakness toward substance abuse (I have never been drunk, nor have done drugs, nor tobacco, etc.) and I "don't get it" why others have these weaknesses, but that is human nature:  we "don't get it," until we ourselves have the same problem.  My weakness (not surprisingly): being self-righteous, something I struggle with daily.

This really nails it. At least for me, and I suspect most of us, there's always something we get tempted with day by day. Fortunately we're covered for that by the blood of Jesus.

On 4/23/2024 at 12:59 PM, Vine Abider said:

For instance, I probably wouldn't get much into matters concerning the raptures (I believe in multiple, partial raptures). 

I'm actually curious about this one. I've heard of the concept before but it's not one I've looked into very deeply. Is this something you'd be able to elaborate on in another thread maybe?

Not "dying" on certain hills reminds me a lot of when Paul told us not to quarrel over disputable matters like whether or not to eat meat and regarding certain days more highly than others. There's a whole lot that can be discussed but isn't really worth arguing about.

On 4/19/2024 at 3:33 AM, Neighbor said:

Maybe a bit of protest, though inconvenient and maybe unpopular, is a good thing to have to face, for it does force some thinking, even some praying, and a lot of justifying of one's policies that affect so many  to the core of their lives now and  will for the remaining term of their individual and collective lives.

Agreed. Even though I do think people who are speaking against Israel are largely speaking from the perspective of ignorance and indoctrination I don't find the idea of protest and debate a bad thing on paper, nor do I think we need to agree with every decision the Israeli government makes. I suspect a lot of protestors grew up on notions of human rights and that war crimes were a thing and might be prosecuted. But for much of human history human rights have been an alien notion and conquerors have done as they pleased with the conquered. The ideas that there are standards of behavior to war and that even in armed conflict civilians will be spared are comforting, but the reality is those ideas are abandoned as soon as it's convenient. Enforcement is haphazard at best and nonexistent at worst, as the Ukraine war has repeatedly demonstrated.

21 hours ago, D. Adrien said:

Because prophecy is one proof of the Eternal speaking truth! So that there would be unfulfilled prophecies throughout the church era for Christians to look back and see prophecies fulfilled and be encouraged to know other unfulfilled prophecies will come to pass.

Completely agreed. It creates ripples that can go across hundreds or even thousands of years. Unbelievers can look at it and stop to consider that maybe the Bible shouldn't be dismissed, and Christians can be encouraged in it.

2 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 4:1 – A.V.) – and sonship. Not servanthood, nor slavery, but sonship; the liberty of sons.

I've been reading Romans lately. Romans 8:14-17 stood out to me. "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

It's always really nice seeing the Bible show such consistency with its message. And thinking about verses like this and the one you provided it's really incredible. Jesus is rightfully spoken of quite highly in the Bible, and despite our sin nature, past mistakes, and more we're adopted to the point of being considered co-heirs.

3 hours ago, Debp said:

Mel, don't think so much about the evil one.   Instead when something starts to assail you, remember some Scripture verses to combat the situation.

I second this. I think a lot of times people give Satan credit for things that are just assorted human evils and failings like the flesh and the circumstances we live in.

2 hours ago, Figure of eighty said:

I already reached out to my Dr.  She Said someone was gonna reach out to me-- hasn't happened.  So I tried to reach out to them. Email is messed up. Will call. I just feel like a failure. 

I agree with Charlie744. Not to sound discouraging but to share a bit of personal experience with the mental health profession I went to a clinic once years ago. I was a wreck and was also contemplating ending my life. They put me through three separate people to screen me and concluded I wasn't bad off enough so they put me on a waiting list. I heard back from them, and they just asked if I still wanted to be on their waiting list. It was unreal. My take home is that you have to both tell the docs and screening people what it's like at its worst and then you have to make them believe you're legit. Being composed worked against me, and when I started letting it all out I had better results.

8 hours ago, warrior12 said:

Realistically though, problems are not solved on their own. It takes effort from both our human abilities and our spiritual journey .  Does not matter if we focus on just the spiritual part of our life, the cows still have to be milked, the roof still has to be replaced and sometime, if not often ,the help of community relief those burdens.  

I agree, and while we don't see much of Paul directly helping others in the Bible we get some clear statements made about the importance of helping others elsewhere. Jesus telling us to love our neighbors as ourselves, the instruction to bear one another's burdens, and the example James gives of faith without works being like seeing someone destitute and basically telling them "God bless you.", then doing nothing to help them out.

8 hours ago, warrior12 said:

Realistically though, problems are not solved on their own. It takes effort from both our human abilities and our spiritual journey .  Does not matter if we focus on just the spiritual part of our life, the cows still have to be milked, the roof still has to be replaced and sometime, if not often ,the help of community relief those burdens.  

I agree, and while we don't see much of Paul directly helping others in the Bible we get some clear statements made about helping others elsewhere. Jesus telling us to love our neighbors as ourselves, the instruction to bear one another's burdens, and the example James gives of faith without works being like seeing someone destitute and basically telling them "God bless you." and doing nothing to help them out.

I've typically gotten the best results from advil for the long term pain and orajel + cold to provide short term relief until the advil kicks in.

55 minutes ago, FJK said:

This also indicates the lazy man finds excuses as to why he can't change, and holds on to his problems no matter how much he complains about them.

It's one of the ways we justify maintaining the barriers between ourselves and god that we have.

Nothing worthwhile is easy.

Pretty much my perspective as well. I've known people that fits like a glove. Being unhappy with a situation or ourselves should be a stimulus to change, but I think some people genuinely enjoy the attention, sympathy, and validation they get from others.

2 hours ago, RdJ said:

Why do you always have to fight demons alone for everyone? So I quit doing that cause I got hurt and now I turn on my bed. I'm so lazy that I started to pray in my sleep.

No one says you do. As Marathoner stated in another recent thread regarding demon possession a lot of times people blame demons and Satan for things that are just the flesh or circumstances. In the Bible we're told to bear each other's burdens, to fellowship with other believers, and so on. Doing things on our own sometimes is inevitable. But it's not the intention that we do it all the time.

8 hours ago, Ani Tefillah said:

I want to ask you :

1. If you know anyone who are suicidal, what would you say or do to them to help them? 

2. Have you ever been suicidal, and how did you overcome it? 

Shalom! And please remember that you are SO VALUABLE! 

1. This isn't always the case but some people who are suicidal just need a little relief. That can come in the form of attention, comfort, distraction, or even a small change in circumstances. I often take the path of distraction because my usual perspective is that dwelling on their circumstance is what brought them to the bring of suicide in the first place, so getting their attention to shift to something more enjoyable is often in order in the short term. Changing someone else's heart, attitude, and long term circumstances is quite often outside of our control and is more the domain of God so my own strategy is to focus on short term mood boosters and providing a listening ear when the person seems to need it.

2. Yes. Suicide is normally the farthest thing from my mind because I've enjoyed life more often than not despite having depression and a melancholic outlook. Psalm 139:14 is a verse I've felt is especially applicable to me: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." But there was a time of prolonged abuse and crushed hopes due to an abusive situation that was very much like a case of modern day slavery. To cite a particular instance to show how bad it was and how cautious I had to be I was threatened with homelessness because I told my host that the landlord dropped by and left a bill while she was at work. When I was told I might have cancer she flat out wouldn't take me to the doctor for a return visit.

I had tried multiple times to get out of that situation and even recruited some friends but it never worked out. In the end a relative I was never close to and hadn't seen in decades came out of nowhere and intervened on my behalf, and I had a few other good turns after. So I got out of it because I stuck with it until God changed my circumstances. The world might call it a series of unlikely coincidences but more than anything else in my life that chain of events really solidified my faith and convinced me that God was looking out for me.

On 4/9/2024 at 7:20 AM, Starise said:

Western culture for the most part has relegated them to horror movies, and those representations are often not accurate.

Demons being those spirits who lost their bodies in the flood go around the earth looking for hosts to inhabit and the bible tells us many of them can possess one person.

What isn't always so obvious is they can be in a person but not be apparent, sometimes not even to the person. Yet another misleading hollywood depiction. Sure, they are apparent in some cases , but I suspect they are more likely to want to stay hidden in a person.

I largely agree, and with absolutely no intent to downplay OP's issue or anyone else suffering from this the matter is sometimes sensationalized within the Christian (Christian being used loosely) community to a degree that makes it an inaccurate spectacle every bit as much as Hollywood. Add that and how sometimes what might appear to be possession to some is just mental illness and it gets to be a very confusing affair where discernment is required.

6 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Since WW II, the dollar has been the world's reserve currency, and dollars were mandated to purchase barrels of oil. That gave the US an advantage, privilege, and stability. As you rightly observe, when that changes, it could also trigger a national crisis.

What was Saddam Hussein about to do on oil that would cause a chain effect that drew us into the Gulf Wars? (Hint: replace the dollar).

This is something that I really wish got more attention both back at the day and in the present. It's a reminder that currency as we understand it today only has value when it's backed by something. I heard about it at the time and it made all kinds of sense. Even back then it wasn't something that was ever really reported or discussed. At least for me the experience was you had to dig into places with things that were normally dismissed as conspiracy theories if you wanted to hear and talk about this sort of thing with others.

Currencies used to be backed by things with tangible value, like precious metals. They have intrinsic value and practical uses. Before metals were a big thing people traded food or things they produced. Things that were practical and useful for survival. Oil certainly has real value too.

Now? An absurd amount of value is being placed on cryptocurrencies. What are they backed by? Nothing at all, and "mining" it increases power consumption. At least to my eyes that makes its intrinsic value and practical value a net negative, yet top cryptocurrencies are worth an absurd amount of money. It really makes you wonder what the big deal is and why world governments are looking to implement their own versions.

22 hours ago, AdHoc said:

Thank you both for your replies. You have brought some good and valid arguments. But I did notice that neither of you addressed my kernel argument. It was that God gives differing talents and upholds the individual right to dispose of his fruits as he wishes. And then, to anchor this, God gives two of ten commandments, namely, (i) though shalt not steal, and (ii) though shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods to ensure that he keeps them. Can we approve a system that makes the removal of your fruits a law?

What think ye of Deuteronomy 8:18?

18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Private wealth is attached to Covenant and God's honor is at stake seeing as He made this Covenant. God gives wealth and man makes it law to strip the man of his wealth.

In the OT we see the practice of leaving a portion of one's crops ungathered for the sake of the poor instituted in Leviticus 19:9-10. That's a system that makes the removal of some of your fruits a law. We're not given a precise measurement on what's fair, but over and over again we see commandments for charity. As the NT says our bodies are not our own and should be used to glorify God. This idea seems very applicable to our finances as well.

When the rich young ruler approached Jesus in Mark 10 asking what he needed to do the response was to go sell everything and give the funds to the poor. While I do believe we're more obligated to follow the Lord loving a cheerful giver these days the fact that the story is repeated across three of the Gospels is telling.

Finally we're told over and over (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17, Titus 3:1, etc.) to obey the government and as Jesus put it, "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's". If that includes a redistribution system so be it.

All that said I do personally feel like a system that takes all but the bare necessity to survive diminishes the impact of charitable giving. There's probably some happy balance that could be found in putting tax money to good use and while still leaving room to both enrich our own lives and be cheerful givers, but world governments being what they are today it's hard to see them legitimately striving toward that.